So This Is What True Love Really Means
by Goten-SnowAngel
Summary: Bulma finally breaks up with Yamcha. Now she finds her self deeply in love with another person... little dose she know that person have feelings for her aswel!. who is that person? find out!...
1. Chapter 1

It was a sunny day. There hadn't been many of those lately, and if there had been than no one noticed. They were all preparing for what was almost assured to be the greatest fight of their lives. It had been foretold that a group of Androids that had previously destroyed the future world were coming to this one with the intention of doing the same thing. Since that knowledge had been acquired the Z senshi and friends had been preparing themselves for the coming onslaught, and hadn't had a moment's peace.  
  
Needless to say, the women of the group were becoming rather restless and feeling exceedingly useless in their husband's flurry. Goku and the others hadn't even seen each other in an environment that wasn't at least semi- hostile, and that was beginning to get on the women's nerves. So, being the most authoritative female of the group (and having a great deal of influence over the most powerful man on earth) Chi-Chi took it into her hands to make the guys have some fun.  
  
After a lot of explaining, and a couple good bonks on the head, Goku finally got the picture and agreed happily to the idea of a party of some sort. It took him a lot of brain power and quite a bit of time to finally come up with a forum for this gathering. They would have a picnic. There was a perfect little spot behind Goku's house, where the trees pulled apart to reveal a happy little patch of grass and a large stump. Gohan liked to play there often, and eagerly endorsed the idea of seeing his friends again.  
  
So, it was on this sunny day that the group was to gather in that clearing and talk about something other than fighting (as was ordered by Chi-Chi). As far as Bulma Briefs was concerned, this meeting was a perfect chance to show off her cutest outfit to the cutest guy she knew. Yamcha.  
  
That was precisely what she was doing. It was an hour before the picnic and she was frantically throwing on clothes, tweaking them, and then tossing them back into the gargantuan pile that was forming behind her.  
  
Pressing a bright yellow sun dress up against the front of her, Bulma shifted around a little bit, watching it flow. "Uggh!" She growled, tossing the dress on the bed. "That's far too bright, I don't want to blind him, just attract his attention! Why don't I have anything to wear?!" She cried, turning back to her half-empty closet and the pile next to it that climbed over her head.  
  
Reaching back into the abyss of her closet, Bulma's hand returned with a little pink dress dawned with blue flowers. "Ewww....That looks like something I would have worn when I was five! I really have to get in here more often, I have far too much junk." She mused, before plunging her hand back in for another little search.  
  
A loud thumping sound emerged from down the hallway, momentarily interrupting Bulma's excavation. She turned her head towards the door, waiting for some kind of clue as to who it was stumbling around her house. Her patience was rewarded when she heard a gruff voice mutter: "Damn table.." It was Vegeta. He must have finished training for while and decided to venture out of his little cubicle for either food, bathroom, or...well those two were just about all she could figure out. He certainly didn't remove himself from his little sanctuary just to run into a table. Giggling, she resumed her hunt for fashion.  
  
Down the hall, Vegeta picked up the little brown coffee table that sat about an inch away from the wall and rubbed his calf muscle. What a dumb place to put a table, right in the path to the kitchen. He never had understood the concept of humans and their furniture. Back on planet Vegeta, all they ever needed was a good rock to sleep on, sit on, and eat on. They didn't need, or desire, ten thousand dollar tables made by some guy with a name longer than the table itself. "Damn table.." He muttered, kicking the leg of it with the toe of his boot a little, just to spite some unknown force, then turned his head back towards his original destination. The kitchen.  
  
As he ventured forward, Vegeta could feel his knees weaken a little each time he stepped with them. He had been training all night and most of the morning and was a little loopy from his lack of nourishment and sleep.  
  
Wobbling down the hall, he felt as if something were missing. Then he realized it all at once. Dr. Briefs usually made some sort of grinding noise with his nose this early in the morning and it was always there as Vegeta made his walk to the refridgerator. What a time they picked to go on vacation. Cowards. As soon as word got out that there was trouble coming, the doctor and Mrs. Briefs conveniantly took a vacation.  
  
As the blessed room of food came into sight, Vegeta quickened his pace. The hunger he had been ignoring for the past twelve hours was coming back on him and made his mouth water at the very thought of food. Reaching an almost running pace he tore into the kitchen, sliding a bit on the tile, and yanked open the refrigerator. Nothing. The only thing that lay within the appliance was a bottle of some nasty fishes that the doctor loved, nothing else. Usually the fridge was overstocked with food, more than enough for the feisty Saiyan prince, but now...something was wrong.  
  
"Where is all the food?!" Vegeta cried, yanking all the cupboards open looking for something to fill his two ton Saiyan stomach. "What the hell is going on here?!"  
  
From behind him he heard a soft laugh, and whirled around to see Bulma standing there, hands on hips, staring straight at him. She looked different from the last time he saw her, which he assumed was a couple of days ago, and her clothing had greatly improved from then. She was wearing short white shorts and a red tank top tucked into them. The outfit w was accented with her white Capsule Corporation jacket, and her blue hair hung down around her shoulders creating a very pleasing image. Then, realizing he had almost forgot about his burning hunger, he narrowed his eyes at her.  
  
"Where is all the food, woman?" He hissed, pointing to the empty refrigerator which he hadn't bothered to shut the door to.  
  
Rolling her eyes and walking past the expectant man to shut the refrigerator. "Mom and Dad didn't get groceries before they left, and I'm taking what's left to a picnic." She said indignantly, picking up the light brown picnic basket she had laid on the counter.  
  
"WHAT!!!?" He shouted, appalled by the fact that everyone would suddenly forget that they had very hungry royalty in their house. "A picnic?! What kind of stupid thing is that? I'm hungry dammit!"  
  
Bulma just laughed again, she was in far too good a mood to let Vegeta's ranting mess it up. He was just going to have to survive without her guidance and edibles for a while. "The rest of the gang and I are getting together and having a picnic today." She replied calmly, playing with the corner of the checkered tablecloth that protruded from the basket.  
  
The first immediate sensation to come over Vegeta was disbelief. They were having a picnic?! There were blood thirsty killers on the way, bent on destroying their planet and the happy little morons were going to put of bettering themselves so they could stuff their faces and act like pigs? Not if he had anything to do with it. "You mean Kakkarot is going to this stupid play date?"He asked, crossing his arms over his chest, determined to not let her go anywhere until he either got food, or a chance to humiliate the Super Saiyan.  
  
"It's picnic, not play date, and yes, Goku is coming. In fact," She stated proudly, "It was his idea."  
  
Hearing that, Vegeta let out a laugh. He could just picture Kakkarott racking his puny brain, attempting to think of something useful. As soon as that thought passed, the wheels began turning in his mind. This might be a good opportunity to show off the new skills that training had bestowed upon him. This "picnic" thing might do nicely as an opportunity to see Kakkarott flush. "Hmmm...." He murmured, casting his eyes towards the tantalizingly good smelling food in that basket.  
  
Seeing that Vegeta was torn on whether or not to come, Bulma lifted up the lid of the basket and held it tantalizingly under Vegeta's nose. "There will be lots of food there. Everyone is bringing something.." She whispered, watching the Princes eyes light up. "You're welcome to come."  
  
"Alright." He said a little too quickly for his pride, and began heading towards the door.  
  
"Hold up a second." Bulma said, raising a hand. Vegeta obeyed and stopped in his tracks, casting a look over his shoulder. "How are you going to get there?" She asked, not even knowing why she was concerned, but she was.  
  
Smirking, Vegeta shook his head. "You really are a stupid woman. I'm going to fly there, of course."  
  
Bulma nodded, she didn't understand why that thought didn't come to her in the first place. Maybe it was because she was feeling so happy today that she even cared about the cocky Saiyan, and his choice of transportation. Just then, without her permission an evil thought came to her. It was only considered evil because she had never thought it before and it felt as though she was being sinful or something by making any request. "Uhh...do you wanna....ride with me?" She asked nervously. Without even seeing his face, Bulma could tell that he was shocked, and a little embarrassed at her request. She attempted to bring sense to her question by another hurried sentence. "The hover car is really fast, we'll get there quicker."  
  
There was a pause. "Feh. Nothing's faster than me, but...whatever.." Vegeta muttered, before venturing out the door and into the hover car.  
  
Another wave of happiness defended upon Bulma at those words. She felt as though she had made some sort of conquest over Vegeta's pride, which was not an easy task. Grabbing the basket, she hurried to the door, but not without stopping to admire herself in the full body mirror. "Damn I'm good." 


	2. Chapter 2

She murmured happily, before bouncing out the door to her waiting passenger.  
  
Meanwhile, in the fated forest behind Goku's house. It was approximately half an hour before the group was set to meet but a small bunch had already gathered. Krillin, Tien, and Yamcha were helping Chi-Chi unload the buckets of food she had prepared for the ravenous group. Goku had been temporarily restrained to prevent all of the sustenance disappearing before anyone could so much as blink twice. Now he sat, tied to a tree, drooling as plate after plate of beautiful delicacies were unloaded from their hover car.  
  
"Guuuuyyssss." He whined, stretching his neck out a little, trying to get a better scent of the food. "This isn't fair! Let me go! I promise I won't eat anything."  
  
Chaotzu, who sat on the other side of the tree just giggled and turned to his friend. "You say that now, but the minute we set you free you'd eat it all, and probably accidentally eat Yamcha you'd be going so fast." He said, and giggled at the thought of Goku shoveling a screaming Yamcha into his mouth in his frenzy.  
  
Tien, Krillin and Chi-Chi also laughed at the humorous mental image, while Yamcha simply grunted and turned red. He didn't like the thought of being in Goku's stomach. Who knew what could be crawling around in there.  
  
After unloading the last platter, and brushing her hands off on her dress, Chi-Chi turned her head to the sky. She knew that Gohan had re-assured her that he would come to the party come hell or high water, and he was just going to train with Piccolo for a while, but she had her doubts. While the Namek-jinn had proven himself to truly be one of them and didn't appear to have any malice towards Gohan or any of the other family members, Chi-Chi still didn't feel right about it. It wasn't all that long ago that Piccolo Daimao had brought her husband close to death, and his offspring had kidnaped her son. Frowning, she noticed the others all looking at her quizzically. "Piccolo and Gohan had better get here soon or the food's gonna get cold." She said, before walking over to the front of the hover car, and getting an understanding nod from everyone there but Goku who continued to drool over the spread before him.  
  
Krillin wiped the sweat off his head and looked over to Yamcha, who was also looking around as if expecting something. "Hey Yamcha!" He called, stirring the warrior from his daydream. "What'cha lookin' for?"  
  
Laughing nervously, Yamcha turned his blushing face away. "Uhhh...I was just wondering what happened to Bulma, y'know..she said she'd be here."  
  
Oolong, who had been chatting with Puar over by a large rock, heard that statement and instantly turned his little conniving head towards the desert bandit. In two seconds flat he was over there, perched on Yamcha's shoulder with a smug little grin on his face. "Did I hear..Bulma? I don't know about you Yamcha, but I'd keep my eye on that hot little number. She's probably got men lined up around the block for her. If ya know what I mean." He said, winking at Yamcha who flushed bright purple and threw Oolong into Goku's lap.  
  
"Bulma loves me, you hear!" He shouted, then calmed his frayed nerves, and noticed that everyone was staring at him.  
  
As if on cue, there was a loud noise and two bodies appeared over the horizon. Chi-Chi looked up from where she stood, then seeing who it was, lept up and rushed over.  
  
"Hi guys!" Gohan cried as he flew over the group, Piccolo close behind him. Just to show off, before landing, Gohan did a flip and a 360 spin. "Ta da!"  
  
Running over, Krillin exchanged high fives with his long time friend. "Nice flying there Gohan."  
  
"Thanks! You look great Krillin!" He exclaimed, and then looking about the group remarked, "You all look great!" Sighing happily he cast his eyes about the crowd, until he saw something that made his smile instantly vanish. There stood his mother, her face as red as their hover car, hands on her hips. Gohan knew he was in trouble now. "H-Hi mom..." He murmured, lowering his head.  
  
Approaching her son, Chi-Chi prepared to give him the verbal thrashing of his life, but no sooner had she reached him and seen the sheepish look upon his face than her anger quickly fizzled. He had adapted that sweet puppy dog look that his father had when she and he had first met, and along with that adorable look came that heart melting sensation whenever she looked at the wearer. Sighing, she knelt down so she could look her son in the eye. "Gohan...." She whispered, not knowing of anything better to say. "Are you hungry dear?"  
  
Looking up, incredibly surprised, Gohan grinned happily. "You bet!" He exclaimed, pleased with this unexpected kindness on his mother's part, and rather hungry after his lengthy flight. With that still in mind he dashed over to the table of food and began to fill his plate with mounds of all sorts of edibles.  
  
Piccolo watched with limited interest as Gohan stuffed his face, and the others proceeded to follow. It had been a while since he had seen anyone in the group, and they all looked somewhat different. More confident. That was particularly unusual for this group, especially with a battle approaching. There was only one person who didn't appear to have changed in the least. Goku. Same haircut, same whiny tone of voice, same incredible happiness. There he was tied to a tree, but was he upset? No, he was laughing. His power level...that had changed. Goku had gotten stronger, if that was even possible, so much stronger that Piccolo could feel the power radiating from the man even though he was at least twenty feet away.  
  
"Hey Piccolo!" The Namek heard suddenly, causing him to look away from Goku and over to the table where Krillin sat, food in hand and mouth. "Come join us!" He called.  
  
"Hmpf." Was his only response. If they hadn't forgotten already, Piccolo didn't eat, and didn't intend ever to start. It was a pointless and restraining habit that had no actual purpose as far as he saw it. Just to be indignant, he flew over to the tree directly adjacent to Goku and promptly sat down, grunting again.  
  
From the distance there a soft humming noise, like a group of bees coming to destroy their picnic, but no one seemed to notice or care. The clamor slowly grew louder and more imposing, until finally it disrupted them enough for Chi-Chi to get to her feet and look around. "What is that noise?" She demanded of some unknown force, looking around with her eyes narrowed.  
  
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it's coming this way." Yamcha remarked, not caring enough to actually move, but shifting his head this way and that pretending to be interested.  
  
Before anyone could even move an inch, a hover car came crashing though their picnic ground, narrowly missing the table. On an instinct everyone threw themselves to the ground, all except for Piccolo who was unfortunately caught up by a blast of air and thrown into the center of the clearing.  
  
After a moment, the dust cleared and a high pitched, energetic voice emerged from the trees. "Hi everyone!"  
  
The Z senshi, looking as though they had just survived a nuclear holocaust, peered up nervously, to be pleasantly surprised by the face of Bulma staring down at them. Letting out the nervous breath of air they had all been holding in, the group gradually climbed to their feet to say a half- hearted hello to their blue haired friend.  
  
"Hi Bulma! You look great..." Yamcha said exuberantly, being the only one who seemed excited to see her after her daring entrance. Although he was overly delighted to see his girlfriend, the group had to admit, she did look good. Really good. So good that Yamcha was beginning to get ideas about all the other men in the group and the way they were looking at her.  
  
Bulma grinned from ear to ear and hopped down her hover car she had conveniently parallel parked in the branch of a tree. The group seemed happy to see her, but they seemed a little more relieved that their food was alright. Looking down, she saw Piccolo rubbing his sore rear end, damaged from his unexpected plummet. "Sorry Piccolo." She called out sheepishly, blushing a little, then flashing Yamcha her million dollar smile.  
  
A loud banging from behind her, suddenly reminded the woman about her passenger. Smacking herself in the forehead with the palm of her hand, she pointed towards her tousled car. "Guess who I got to come?" She cried proudly as the group stared up in awe at the black haired Saiyan who was still planted firmly in his seat, his hands gripping the armrests with all his might. Taking a breath, he released the armrests that were significantly bent in the middle from his death grip, and attempted to get a hold of himself after the ride he had just experienced. Now he agreed with the people who said that women should not drive.  
  
"Vegeta!" Goku exclaimed, grinning stupidly up at his companion from his position.  
  
Immensely regretting his foolish acceptance of Bulma's ride, Vegeta decided that he was in a bad position and he may as well make a good entrance. Opening the door, he soared out and stood atop one of the branches of the tree. "Hmpf. I came for the food."  
  
The group laughed briefly at Vegeta's pride, and then quickly returned to their naturally pattern. Bulma and Chi-Chi began making idle conversation, while Krillin, Tien, Oolong, Puar Chaotzu, and Gohan stuffed themselves silly. Yamcha however, could not take his eyes off the proud Saiyan perched atop the tree. Why did Bulma bring him? He's such a jerk. Why did he come in the first place? There must be something they're not telling me..Maybe she's....With Vegeta? No Way! But then again...he was a Saiyan...and for some unexplainable reason women are attracted to the Saiyans, Why else would Chi-Chi be with a guy like Goku of all people....hmmm that must be--  
  
"Yamcha!" Bulma's voice broke the fighter out of his stupor and he looked over at her, his mind still whirling. "Come eat with me, we have so much to catch up on." She cried, pointing to the empty plate she held in her hand.  
  
I'm just being paranoid, Yamcha told himself, I must still be mad at Vegeta for what happened with the Siabamen and I'm just not admitting it to myself. Boy, I am paranoid. "Sure Bulma, anything you say." He replied, laughing heartily at his own foolishness before practically running to her side.  
  
What a foolish human, following his own emotions as though they were his master, Vegeta thought to himself with a dry laugh. How could he let a woman control him so? What an diluted fool. Women were nothing but bratty, whiny, badly dressed, screaming wenches. But that food sure looked good. Forget women, all Vegeta wanted and needed, was a big slice of meat from that ham down there. Leaping down from his post, Vegeta snatched a plate off of the table and began to load piles of everything in sight onto it. Then, ignoring the fork that Krillin attempted to hand him, looked around for a good place to eat in peace. 


	3. Chapter 3

"So Yamcha, what have you been doing lately?" Bulma asked, knowing full well what he had been doing, but using conversation as a way to get his attention fixated on her.  
  
"Well, I've been training. I've gotten a lot stronger! When those androids come they better be prepared for a good butt whipping!" He said, grinning and stuffing a forkful of potato salad into his mouth.  
  
"I'm sure you could beat them Yamcha, you're--"  
  
A loud burst of laughter abruptly interrupted Bulma's sentence and she looked over to the source, along with an irritated Yamcha.  
  
"Ha ha ha!! Look at you, the great and powerful Kakkarott, chained to a tree like a dog! Ha ha ha haa!" Vegeta chortled, only just now having noticed Goku's restraints. This was priceless. Absolutely priceless. He had heard humans speak of golden moments before, and he never knew the true meaning of the expression, until this moment. "Ha ha ha! Do you fetch too, Kakkarott?" He sneered, leaning right down in Goku's face to get the full effect.  
  
Looking next to her, Bulma could see Yamcha roll his eyes. He had never liked Vegeta. She didn't blame him for it either. She wouldn't particularly be enthralled by the presence of someone who had been responsible for her death. She wasn't exceedingly thrilled with Vegeta anyway, but in this moment something happened. She laughed. Vegeta was actually funny. For some reason in this exclusive moment something in the Prince's tone of voice and posture struck her as funny, and she giggled at Vegeta's crack.  
  
The group froze. No one had ever laughed at Vegeta's cruelty before, at least nobody in their right minds. Yamcha, more than anyone, was stunned at Bulma's reaction. He stood there, his jaw dropped with surprise. Why would she think that's funny? Something was definitely wrong here. Bulma was only supposed to giggle at his jokes and misadventures. A wave of heat passed through his body and Yamcha could feel his fists tighten at his sides. Even Piccolo seemed mildly thrown off by the turn of events.  
  
"Oh yes!" Chi-Chi said suddenly, interrupting the tense silence abruptly, "I forgot about you, Goku. You can come eat now."  
  
"Yay!" Goku cried, as Chi-Chi shoved the Prince aside and began to untie her husband. The group, taking the hint, continued with their normal line of conversation, ignoring Yamcha's flushed face, and the way Vegeta was staring at Bulma.  
  
Taking one last glorious look at the restrained Kakkarott, and wishing he had taken this opportunity to do something rotten, Vegeta moved over to a spot just far enough away from the others that he wasn't going to be involved in any conversation or included in any unnecessary way. As he began to pile mounds of food into his salivating mouth, the Prince found his eyes wandering over to the face of Bulma. It wasn't exactly the most lovely face at that moment, seeing as it was dotted with flecks of potato salad and Cole slaw, but it was unique. She was--Catching himself mid- thought, Vegeta tore his gaze away from the temptress and focused it on a squirrel. She was what? What was he going to say? She was stupid. She was insolent. She was inconceqencial. That's what she was. Tossing his empty plate aside, Vegeta wondered why he had even been looking at her in the first place. Was it because she laughed at him? No one had ever done that before. He had never been seriously laughed at. Never said anything so humorous it would actually make another life form giggle. How unusual, and yet...wonderful. The sound of her laughter, even thought short, was one of the most glorious sounds Vegeta could remember hearing.  
  
"What?!?" Bulma screeched, dropping her plate onto the ground in shock, and causing everyone's head to turn towards her. Even Goku, who was so involved with eating he probably wouldn't have noticed if a bomb destroyed everything but the sandwich in his hand, looked up to see what was wrong. Vegeta, too, turned his head to see what was disrupting his thoughts.  
  
Yamcha, obviously trying to quiet down his explosive girlfriend and turn the attention away from him, hunched his shoulders over, leaned in and lowered his voice to a harsh whisper. "Bulma, Maybe we should go talk over here." He growled in an attempted whisper, which didn't work as well as he had planned seeing as everyone in the group was hanging on his every syllable.  
  
Quirking a brow, Vegeta watched as Yamcha practically pushed a very flustered Bulma into a deeper part of the forest. The earthling was obviously upset about something, judging by the scarlet color of his skin, and the slightly off key tone of his voice. Normally he wouldn't care about these petty earthling squabbles of theirs, but for some reason, today was different. He wanted to see the outcome of this little battle, and hear what the problem was to begin with. He was intrigued. Besides, he had nothing better to do, and it might even be entertaining to watch them verbally tear each other limb from limb.  
  
The group was so involved in their own little discussion about the turn of events they didn't even see Vegeta slip out into the same grove of trees the couple just disappeared into, and even if they did, they probably wouldn't have cared.  
  
"Wow..something must be really wrong. I mean, did you see the way Yamcha was looking at her. He's peeved about something." Krillin observed, setting aside his dish and using his now free hand to stroke his chin in thought.  
  
Moving over beside his companion, Chaotzu seconded the remark. "Yeah, they've been acting funny lately. I wonder what it is."  
  
"Do you think it has something to do with..." Krillin began, but then trailed off mid-sentence.  
  
"Has to do with what?" The group demanded in unison, leaning closer to their bald guru.  
  
Stroking the top of his head nervously, Krillin began wishing he had never said anything in the first place. "Something to do with...Vegeta?"  
  
There was a moment of silence as the group let the thought sink in. It was a rather deep realization and it made them all wonder a little more about what went on behind the iron doors of the Capsule Corporation.  
  
"Vegeta? How does this concern Vegeta in the least?" Piccolo suddenly piped up from his place beneath the tree. He had been very quietly listening to the whole conversation and saw no plausible evidence that Vegeta had any involvement in this situation at all.  
  
All at once, the group blushed. Piccolo obviously didn't understand what they were speaking about. Of course he wouldn't, he didn't have hormones. He didn't understand about relationships. "Heh heh...Piccolo, I don't think you quite understand what we're talking about." Chi-Chi explained, attempting to hide her face behind a plate as she continued on. "It's about...well..."  
  
"Is it about sex?" He asked abruptly, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Yes." She answered, relieved she didn't have to say the word.  
  
It was Piccolo's turn to blush now, as he tried to hide his face underneath his cape."Hmpf." Was his only reply. Piccolo was confused about the concept of sex, to say the least, and had made a decision that he was going to ignore all things that involved it. Now was the time to tune out the following dialogue.  
  
"Bulma? With Vegeta? Get real!" Oolong exclaimed, stuffing a few more bites of food into his mouth before proceeding. "I mean, she would nefber be unflaithfbull to Wamcha." He said, his speech garbled from the oversized mouthful he had consumed. Swallowing, and getting no conformation to his assumption, he added a rather doubtful. "Right?"  
  
Within the trees, another conversation was commencing, this one a little more heated.  
  
"What do you mean why did I bring him along?" Bulma screeched, throwing her hands in the air in disbelief.  
  
"That's what I said? Why did you bring him? He's a jerk Bulma, you know that! What were you thinking?" Yamcha spat back, also making wild gesticulations to illustrate his irateness.  
  
"I brought him because I thought it was time he did something with the group. He's saved our lives Yamcha, how many 'jerks' do you know that would do that. If you would only give him a chance, you would see that he's a...decent person on the inside!" She said, then paused for a moment, not comprehending why she just said what she did. She defended him. She defended the man who had been making her life hell ever since he set foot on this planet. Though, the only real thing that disturbed her, was that she honestly believed every word she had just said.  
  
Vegeta, as well, was surprised by her outburst. A little alarmed too. She had never shown this toleration for him before, and he certainly hadn't given her any reason to shield him from this puny earthling's words. For some unknown reason though, he felt compelled to do the same for her, but managed to hold himself back and continue to watch, his interest now peaked.  
  
"Why are you protecting him? He's never done anything worthwhile!" Yamcha cried, so confused and angry that he couldn't even think straight. The single thought that had been plaguing his mind ever since Vegeta emerged from that hovercraft was creeping from his brain to his mouth, and he knew he couldn't hold it in any longer. Sighing, he prepared to speak his mind. "Look Bulma, I want the truth...What is going on with you two?"  
  
"Going on? What do you mean? Nothing is going on with us. Yamcha, why are you blowing this so out of proportion, don't you trust me?" She protested, not understanding what they were arguing about. Then it hit her. It was like a bolt of light in a dark night, that came and then vanished. "Yamcha.." She said tentatively, narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "You don't think I'm sleeping with Vegeta, do you?"  
  
That was exactly what he was thinking. "That's what it looks like!" He shouted, watching her jump in surprise at his forcefulness. "I mean you guys live together for Kami's sake!"  
  
Bulma could hardly believe her ears. Yamcha, the one who always said that you should always trust the one you love or you couldn't trust anyone, the one who was her heaven and earth, the one who claimed to love her more than anything. He was accusing her of being unfaithful. "Yamcha..." She murmured, her mind becoming a complete blank. "How could you...think such a thing? I have been loyal to you! I would never ever sleep with Vegeta!" She cried.  
  
So that's what the little earth boy is whining about. He's worried his woman was sleeping around? Honestly, these humans are so primitive They had the right idea back on Vegeta, if you thought your woman was faithful, you could instantly execute her. Talking was useless. Vegeta rolled his eyes slightly, but couldn't help but feel a tiny bit offended at Bulma's pledge of infidelity. Leaning against a tree, Vegeta watched closely as Yamcha averted his gaze, and began to look very nervous. 


	4. Chapter 4

"So you've never....been with anyone...but me?" He asked, tensely, wringing his hands.  
  
The gig was up. Vegeta saw it clear and true, and wondered if Bulma could also sense what was "troubling" Yamcha. Shaking his head, he couldn't stop himself from thinking that she deserved better.  
  
She saw it. Narrowing her eyes even further, Bulma advanced on her boyfriend. He was hiding something, and she thought she knew what, but she prayed she was wrong. "You haven't been unfaithful to me....have you?" She asked, trying to seem sure of what the answer would be, but being unsuccessful in her attempts in optimism.  
  
"Well...I uh...." He stuttered, backing up a few paces until he tripped over a tree stump and practically went sailing downwards.  
  
"Tell me the truth!" She shouted, feeling the tears start to build up.  
  
"Yes! I've slept around a few times, but they didn't mean anything to me Bulma, honestly...You're the only girl for me." He explained quickly, but watched as she recoiled in disbelief, her eyes welling up with tears. "I'm so sorry.."  
  
The tears were coming, and Bulma was going to let them. Yamcha, the love of her life had been with other women. He had probably told them he loved them too, and had made them feel just as good as her. She couldn't believe it. "Get away from me!" She screamed. "I never want to see you ever again!!"  
  
Those were the last words Yamcha heard her say, before Bulma burst into a flood of tears and took off running. "Wait! Don't....go..." He trailed off, finding that his efforts were in vain. She was gone. He blew it.  
  
In the distance he could hear an engine roar, and a second later Bulma's blue hover car went sailing overhead. She was gone for good. "Dammit!" He cursed loudly, punching a tree with all his might. There was a loud crack as it broke neatly in two and fell to the ground.  
  
"Heh heh heh, nice going." A voice came from within the trees. Yamcha whirled around to see a rather smug Vegeta standing there. Clenching his fists, Yamcha fought to control himself. Vegeta was the last person he wanted to see right now.  
  
"How long have you been standing there?" He growled warningly, his tone making it very clear to the man that he was not to be toyed with.  
  
Smirking, Vegeta took a few steps forward. He was going to enjoy this. "Long enough to see your little display. I don't understand why she keeps you around. You earthlings are so....puny." He muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
"Watch it Vegeta, I'm not in the mood to take any of your shit." Yamcha warned, clenching his fists tighter at his sides.  
  
"I'm shaking, earth boy." He responded flatly hoping to add to the flame of anger that was already burning within Yamcha.  
  
Growling fiercely, Vegeta could see the scarlet color slowly return to Yamcha's face as he began to redden with rage. He was ready to run over there and break the cocky little prick in two neat little halves just as he had done to the tree. That would certainly brighten up his day and his life.  
  
"Go ahead, come and get me." Vegeta offered, "I could use a little exercise."  
  
The thought was very tempting, so tempting that for a moment Yamcha was about to accept and head right for Vegeta's pelvic area when something stopped him. There was a loud scream from the picnic area, and it momentarily took his focus away from the battle. Looking back to the smirking Vegeta he muttered. "Your days are numbered." Before dashing off to see what the problem was.  
  
Vegeta laughed dryly at the thought of Yamcha posing any sort of threat to him or his days. Although, he was a little disappointed he didn't get to test out his strength in battle, but it was no big loss, he would get another chance. That he was sure of. A thought dawned on him suddenly, and surprisingly, he wondered how Bulma was doing. She certainly didn't look happy when she left. Not that he cared, but he didn't want her sulking around the house all day. She might not even go buy more food! That thought fresh in his mind, Vegeta took off into the air, a cloud of blue energy surrounding him.  
  
Looking up, Yamcha saw what appeared to be Vegeta heading away. "Good riddance" He mustered, before turning back to the very frazzled Chi-Chi. It turned out that the scream had been a result of a horrendous accident involving a rock and her picnic spread. Frivolous as the incident was, Yamcha was partially glad that he had been drawn away from Vegeta. Who knew what kind of damage he would inflict upon the Saiyan-jinn. Besides, it would probably just make Bulma more mad at him. Bulma..he wondered how she was.  
  
The sky was beginning to turn different shades of orange and purple as the sun set over the mountain. It was night, and there were many more hours to pass. Bulma tossed herself forward onto the dashboard of her hover car. It was more than obvious that she could not drive in her present condition, the tears preventing her from any sort of actual vision in the dark. She had already pulled over, and was now going to pour her heart out, not caring who heard it. A flood of her tears hit the wheel as she wailed into her folded arms.  
  
It isn't fair, it just isn't. Why should she be the one who is hurting? Wasn't infidelity supposed to be rewarded? She had been faithful to Yamcha through and through, and this was how she was thanked for her limitless support and compassionate listening when he called her at 2:00 in the morning? This is how she gets repaid for never asking where he was and why he wasn't there. Life was so cruel.  
  
"Dammit!" She screamed, pounding her fist down on the wheel. "Stop it Bulma." She said, wiping her eyes and attempting to steady her breathing. "You've got to be strong..You have to be the strong one." Sighing, she laid her head back against the seat and stared up at the intricate design of the roof of her car. The vehicle suddenly seemed very hot, and Bulma yanked down the window fiercely, enjoying the freezing wind that tore through her.  
  
Yamcha....How could she live without him? It just didn't' seem as though there could be life without that quirky, sweet guy, who would always rush into battle head first without even thinking, and triumph in the end. How could she spend one day knowing that she would never see him look at her "that way" again. Knowing he would never hold her in his arms after they had just made love, the electricity between them taking on a life of it's own. He would never whisper in her ear in the middle of the night how much he loved her, so no one but her could hear. She would never feel that exileration of knowing that she was special enough to win the trust and love of this man. Then a thought struck her, and caused another onslaught of tears. She was not the only one he had ever held. He had told other girls, no matter how many, that he cared for them, and that he didn't care about Bulma or her feelings. How could he? How could he do that to someone he claimed to love.  
  
Sobbing, Bulma fell over across the seat, putting her arms over her head as if trying to shield herself from the pain and the anger. There was no where to go from here, no where she wanted to go at least. And now, all she could do was cry.  
  
****************************************  
  
There was a loud creak as Vegeta opened the front door of the Capsule Corporation. Peering inside, he listened for any noises that could have come from Bulma. This was the first place she would have come, even though he couldn't see her car anywhere. Then again, she often reduced it to capsule form and put it in her pocket, so he could never be sure.  
  
Vegeta didn't bother to wipe his feet, as Bulma often ordered, when he came inside, he looked around, hoping to see her. Listening again, all he could hear was the sound of silence, and an occasional purr from the cat who had located itself underneath the couch. No dreadful sobbing noises that could often be heard echoing around the house when Bulma was upset, and this time she was definitely upset.  
  
Quickly and quietly, Vegeta began to pad down the hallway towards Bulma's room. If she was in there then she must be sleeping, and would not be happy to see him. That was perfectly normal. He pressed his ear to the door, waiting to see if anything unusual would arise. Nothing did. Beginning to loose his patience, Vegeta twisted the handle. It was unlocked, surprising. Pressing lightly he began to open the door. Normally, he would have just burst in and demanded to be fed, but this time it felt different somehow. Vegeta was actually worried whether or not he upset Bulma, and that was a rare occurrence indeed.  
  
Nothing. Just great, the woman was out somewhere in her destructive emotional stupor, and was undoubtedly doing something horrendous to herself or whoever her unlucky victim just happened to be. Just peachy.  
  
Walking inside the room, Vegeta looked around at the sight. He had never really taken time to look at the chamber, seeing as the only two times he had been in there had been under very different circumstances and he hadn't exactly been paying attention to the girlish intricacies of her lair. Now that he took the time to look, he found the place to be...bearable. To his surprise the room was small compared to the dwelling Vegeta had been given. While his room was the size of a small ballroom, hers was merely big enough for her big extravagant bed, two small bookcases, a desk, and the door to the outside balcony.  
  
The walls were stripped of all additional color, besides one painting of a tree. Not just any tree though, a tree with branches that bared a striking resemblance to arms. Arms that were reaching out in hunger, or in love, or in rage, any sort of emotion that the mind could conceive. The brush strokes were ragged and sharp, causing the tree to take on a harsher appearance, as though it were staring at him, telling him something he couldn't hear. Torturing him with unspoken words. In the corner of the canvas, two signed words caught Vegeta's attention. Bulma Briefs.  
  
Tearing his gaze off of the picture, and reminding himself firmly that it was only a tree. Vegeta focused on the desk in the corner, one of the only pieces of furniture in the mid-sized room. On the desk sat a dirty yellow lamp, a couple of notebooks that looked as though they were just there to gather dust, and a picture of Yamcha in a homemade frame lined with pink hearts. 


	5. Chapter 5

Yamcha. At the sight of his grinning face beneath the glass of that frame an unexplainable anger came over Vegeta. He positively seethed with rage as he took the frame in his hand, his grip threatening to crush the tender clay. That unfaithful shit head! Vegeta thought to himself, staring at the soap-box smile on the bastard's face, and positively loathing the way his hair fell across his forehead. That woman was nothing but faithful to him, and how does that cretin repay her? Follows his dick all over town and breaks her heart....If she were my woman I would treat her better. As soon as that thought entered his head Vegeta questioned his own sanity. Some strange faramone of the room had infected him and made him think uncharacteristically foolish thoughts.  
  
Tossing the frame down on the desk, Vegeta groaned. "What is wrong with me?!? Sighing loudly at his own witless compassion that came out of seemingly nowhere. "Why can't I get that woman out of my head?" He asked again, wishing that someone would tell him the answer to that question that plagued him.  
  
Vegeta shook his head, and looked down underneath his legs at the white sheets. Pure and clean, just like Bulma...  
  
"ARRRR!" He screamed, beating himself on the side of the head with a hand. "Damn you you moronic, obsessive man! You are the Prince of Saiyans damn you! You can not be attracted to some loud mouthed, ugly, dense little earth woman. You are above that!" He shouted to himself, attempting to come up with his own little affirmations of virtue to replace the wicked thoughts of Bulma cooking in his brain.  
  
He had to get out of there and get some air or he was never going to get himself back to normal. These thoughts weren't going to leave him unless replaced by the face of Kakkarott being pounded into the ground. That would certainly help Vegeta's morality. Knock a few teeth out of Kakkarotts grinning face and he would be good as new. Jumping to his feet, the blood thirsty Prince launched himself out the window and in the direction of the Son household. He needed something to distract him, and he needed it fast.  
  
Vegeta's aura pounded through the night like an overly bright star that had just entered the earths atmosphere. He was souring across the sky with one vision in his mind. Kakkarott struggling in his grip. Oh how he loved that thought Nothing would please him more than to know that he had been responsible for a little pain and suffering in Kakkarott's life.  
  
As he flew, some little part of the man's head couldn't help but wonder where Bulma was and what she was doing. That little part of him grew a bit larger with every mile he went along the road. Soon it became so unbearably large that it replaced his brain with that of a paranoid vegetable.  
  
Something might have happened to her. What do I care? You're going to be responsible you know. Not in the least, it's her own fault she ran off like that. Don't kid yourself, you have to find her. I do not. At least fly a little lower so you can see her if she is there? What makes me think I'm going to see her? Sigh...alright.  
  
That mental battle being raged and the rational side of his brain emerging victorious, Vegeta semi-reluctantly floated down so he was only a few feet off the ground, but refused to change his pace to compensate. He was still speeding along, keeping one eye open in search of the lost maiden.  
  
There was a hill up ahead and Vegeta slowed down a little so as not to go crashing into some invisible object over the hump. As he did so, a pair of headlights came into view and Vegeta quirked a brow. What kind of moron would be sitting in a running car on the side of the road at this time of night? Kakkarott? No. Not Kakkarott. He didn't even drive as far as Vegeta knew. Being the most powerful being in the universe does bring certain perks along with the title.  
  
Slowing down to an almost halted pace, Vegeta peered though the dashboard, attempting to see any sign of life. There was none, just glass and metal. Now there was no person in the car? Whoever did this was certainly a real winner.  
  
Part of him said that he should just keep going, and that Kakkarott deserved a 11:00 pm wake up call and a good punch in the nose. The other part nagged at him to look inside the car and have some compassion for his fellow man for once. They weren't even his fellow man for crying out loud, they were stupid weakling humans. Nonetheless, Vegeta finally gave in and convinced himself that he would do nothing but look.  
  
Vegeta leaned down to the window of the hover car which, incidentally, was rolled halfway down letting in the freezing air, and peered into it. At first glance he saw nothing but the adjacent window, but upon further investigation he was shocked beyond conception at his discovery. There was Bulma, laying face first on the dark interior of the car. She didn't appear to be moving outside of the sudden spasms of shivering that came over her every so often, and the very methodical pattern of her breathing.  
  
Shocked, Vegeta yanked open the door of the car and looked over the woman. He had momentarily forgotten about the missing Bulma when he spotted the stranded car, and his thoughts about her all came back in a sudden rush. He reached out and touched the back of her neck. Her skin was smooth and cold, very cold. No telling how long she had been laying out here with the damn window open. Stupid woman.  
  
Now it was time for another mental conflict. Should he or shouldn't he take her home? The bigger part of him, in conjunction with his Saiyan instinct, told him that he should just leave her there to freeze. She was none of his concern, and he had Kakkarott to feed his anger too. However, the rarely revealed empathetic side of the warrior won again. In one swift movement, he plucked Bulma out of the car and into his arms. She was surprisingly light as far as the humans went. It felt to Vegeta as though he was carrying nothing more than a feather, or a tiny child, not a full grown and very capable woman.  
  
As he was about to blast off, and let the kind side of him win for once, Vegeta spied the red bag sitting in the seat of the car. It was Bulma's purse. Now if his memory served him, the Prince could remember Bulma saying something about how she stored money in that thing. Money, of course, could be used to buy food. Food for the very hungry royalty who desperately need to be fed, for fear of impending death.  
  
Snatching that up as well, Vegeta vowed to make a stop on the way home and pick up a few necessary "items."  
  
*****************************************************  
  
The first thing Bulma could remember upon waking up was an incredible hunger and fatigue. As her puffy, red eyes opened up, she expected to still be face down in her car on the shoulder of the road. But she wasn't. She was home, tucked safely in her bed.  
  
Sitting up and shaking her head, the woman tried to remember how she got there. The last thing she could recall was flopping down on the front seat in a fit of tears and crying herself to sleep. She recalled nothing about driving home and crawling into bed.  
  
A light snorting sound from the corner jarred Bulma's attention from the question of her placement, to the body of Vegeta sitting in her desk chair fast asleep with his head on the wood. The sight of the warrior startled Bulma briefly, (no pun intended) before she finally put two and two together. Vegeta must have been flying around, found me in the car and took me home. How..sweet of him. But why would he do such a thing? He had no reason to help me out. Bulma thought to herself, resting her body against the headboard. Maybe he saw the fight between me and Yamcha and got concerned. No, Vegeta doesn't get concerned. Maybe he does?  
  
Another short glance at the Prince caused Bulma's eyes to frost over with tears. Beside the Saiyan's left hand was a picture of Yamcha. It was her favorite one. The one where he looked like a superstar and a super hero all at the same time. And he was all hers. That's what she used to think, looking at that piece of paper. Several small tears rolled down her cheeks as Bulma attempted to keep her emotions in check. She shouldn't be falling apart over this, he was just a guy, and she had a life to live.  
  
Without warning, a loud sob escaped her throat, and Bulma buried her head in the pillow to muffle any further noises, finally allowing the sorrow to pass through her heart.  
  
Vegeta's mind suddenly snapped back awake, and he opened his eyes. He wasn't aware how long he had been asleep, but imagined it hadn't been more than two hours. He had spent most of the night awake, waiting for Bulma to join him, but not honestly knowing why. Now as he looked over at the bed, he could tell that she was very awake, and crying again. What a surprise. Groaning he rotated the sore muscles in his neck. "Will you shut up. You sound like the dog when she's in heat." He said cruelly, ignoring her apparent grief.  
  
Pulling her head out of the pillow for only a moment, Bulma glared at Vegeta. To think, she thought he might actually be concerned with her welfare. What a laugh. "Get out Vegeta!" She screamed, her voice horse and cracked from her night in the cold.  
  
"I wouldn't speak that way to the man who saved my life." He jeered coldly, getting to his feet and approaching the bed.  
  
Bulma paused for a moment to wipe her eyes and try to steady her breathing. She had to be cool, and calm or she was likely to blow up and cause yet another fight between the two of them. "Saved my life? What are you talking about?" She lied, having already made an assumption about his involvement in her transportation. Sniffling a little, Bulma bunched her knees up to her chest in a protective manner and buried her face between them so as to avoid the cold look she knew Vegeta had in his eyes. 


	6. Chapter 6

Vegeta had to laugh at her naivety. "How do you think you got home? I found you in the dumpy little wreck of a car and flew you all the way home. If I hadn't have found you, you would have froze to death with that window open. That or you would have been mugged and shot by some weakling human." He finished crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
Silence filled the room like the plague. Both people knew why there was silence, but couldn't seem to think of anything worthwhile to say to make it end. Bulma was absolutely astounded that Vegeta, who seemed to regale the gravity machine more than her, had actually gone out of his way to help her, and to protect her.  
  
"Why?" She asked suddenly, having found no answer to that question within the recesses of her own imagination.  
  
Vegeta was dumbfounded. Throughout this whole ordeal he had never thought once about why he was doing this in the first place. Was it because he cared for the earth woman? Because of the thoughts he was so taken with before? What was it that caused him to do something so kind for someone he usually cared nothing about. So he used the only tactic he knew of to get out of things, lie. "Who would feed me if you died? I need you hear to cook the meals and repair the gravity machine." He responded cruelly, watching her eyes widen and the tears fill them up again.  
  
"Damn you Vegeta!" She screamed, throwing a pillow at him maliciously. "Damn you, you deplorable bastard! How could I have ever thought that you cared about anyone but yourself. GET OUT!" She shrieked, throwing another pillow at his head.  
  
Deciding he was beaten, Vegeta stalked towards the door. He threw it open in one movement, and was about to depart when a heartless statement came to his mind, and he made his biggest mistake ever. He said it. "No wonder he dumped you." With that, he was gone.  
  
As he stalked down the hallway, Vegeta didn't even have to strain to hear the ragged sob that escaped Bulma's throat, and the horrible crying that followed. He usually didn't feel any remorse for his cruelty at until much later, or not at all, even with Bulma. This time, however, it hit him hard in one swift blow. The sound of her crying bore right down into the part of his heart that he had managed to hide away for so many years, and made it ache. He wanted to rush back in there and apologize for ever hurting her. Make her crying stop.  
  
Vegeta shook his head in disbelief. Another piece of evidence that this woman was getting to him, and taking away all the pride and strength that he had kept protected within him. Luckily, at this point he hadn't shown any signs that he was going soft, but his thoughts would not be silenced. It was the first time he had ever felt this confused about the going on of his mind and heart in conjunction.  
  
"Stupid woman." He muttered, kicking the faithful little wooden side table at the end of the hallway, and making his way to the gravity machine. Maybe a few hours of training would relieve his intoxication. That must be it, that blood draining succubus had cast some kind of invisible spell on him, that was making him question his own judgment and sanity. He wouldn't stand for that. No pitiful earth female was going to make him doubt his own superiority. Not if he had anything to do with it.  
  
Slamming the door of the gravity room, Vegeta hit all the appropriate switches and levers to make it go. The loud hum of the machine was very soothing and drown out the sobs of Bulma. Somehow he was going to have to beat this curse, no matter what it took. He was Prince of the Saiyans and no woman was going to bring him down. Was she? The sun had long since gone down and Bulma was just now emerging from her bedroom. She had spent the entire day sulking and sleeping, locked deep within the darkness of her own mind. Mostly she had been lamenting over the fact that she would never be able to look into those black eyes of Yamcha's and see that same honest ever loving guy. He wasn't that guy anymore, that guy died when he admitted to slepping with other women. He was now replaced by a horny sleezebag who wasn't worth her trust.  
  
The other one thing that had been nagging at her was Vegeta's last little comment before he walked out. How did he know they broke up? Why did he automatically assume it was her fault? Did he know more than he was saying? Why was he such a jerk?  
  
Slowly, the confusions slipped from her mind and she fell into a five hour long sleep induced by her obious cold from the unscheduled camping trip.  
  
Now she was wide awake, and Bulma groaned, decideding it was time to finally emerge from her warm comfy bed. She desperately needed to get some food in her stomach. Crawling out of bed, she noticed that she was still wearing her shorts and t-shirt she had been wearing yesterday. She hadn't been thinking about that before, but now that she was, it was time to change into something a little more comfortable.  
  
Snatching a silk nightgown out of her closet, she stripped off the other clothes and tossed them onto the floor. She would get them later. Now it really didn't mean anything to her, even though she was a neat freak.  
  
The cool softness of the silk felt very nice against her skin, and she wished she had bought silk sheets when the opprotunity had arose. As she passed, Bulma glanced at herself in the full body mirror. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was absolutely attrocious, but for once she didn't care. Fuck what the world thought of her. The world could go to HFIL along with Yamcha, Vegeta and anyone else who got in her way.  
  
Heading down the hallway from her room, Bulma glanced at her wristwatch in the moonlight. 2:00. Just as she thought, she expected it to be late in the evening, not a normal time for anyone to be up and about. Only her and her broken heart.  
  
Just as Bulma was about to yank open the refridgerator she remembered. There was no food. Dammit! Why didn't she think to get some food? Probably because her emotions had completely taken over her entire mind that she wasn't even thinking about it when she fell asleep in her car with the window open. Sighing, she expected just to go back to bed, when a bag on the counter caught her eye.  
  
As she looked closer, the bag appeared to be the plastic ones they give you at the supermarket. Could it be? How could food possibly get there when she didn't get any, and certainly her parents who were miles away didn't get any. Vegeta? No way. How could he possibly get money, or even know what to do in the store.  
  
Peering into the bag, she saw six cartons of ice cream, and some funny looking container filled with artificial cherries. It must have been Vegeta who bought these things, no one else would spend hard earned money on ice cream and fake cherries. The iced milk substance being one of the only foods Vegeta would actually eat and not complain about profusely. In fact, she would go so far to say it was his favorite food. Although he wasn't the smartest most quickly adapted person in the universe seeing as he was leaving it out here to melt.  
  
Bulma felt a smile creep onto her face for the first time that day as she imagined a perplexed Vegeta running around the super market trying to purchase some items and not blow anybody up. He was so cute when he was confused.  
  
A frown once again worked its way onto her face as she pondered why she actually let herself think that. Vegeta wasn't cute, he was a horrible monster who had no heart and no compassion whatsoever for his fellow man. Putting the cartons in the freezer and the cherries in the refridgerator, Bulma grabbed one of the already frozen and half empty containers of old ice cream and began heading for her room.  
  
That was a nice little break from her world of sadness and self-pity. Now it was time to return, and not leave until tommorow morning when she had to get some work done. Passing under a skylight in the hallway she paused to look at the stars. The eerie blackness and emptyness of the night somehow soothed her as she took a big bite of vanilla ice cream. Sugar and moonlight, what else could anyone ask for? How about a steady boyfriend, she hadn't had that luxury yet.  
  
As if on cue, a shadow passed over the skylight, starling Bulma. Someone was out there, and on the roof! She strained her neck to see more of the figure that had just walked past, but found no clue as to who it was.  
  
Bulma's heart pounded in her chest as she raced into her room. It might be some murderous prowler, coming to steal all the precious possesions from the nice big house. She didn't bother to even set down the carton and spoon in her hand before dashing out to the balcony. Using her free hand and the railing of the balcony, she hoisted herself onto the smooth roof of the Capsule Corp. It didn't even occur to her that she was unarmed and should the prowler attack she would be defensless.  
  
Walking was not an easy task on the slick roof, and Bulma slipped a few times, but never fell off the building itself. Finally, after a few more minutes and another couple near death experiances, she finally put a face to her "prowler."  
  
There sat Vegeta, staring up at the gigantic full moon in front of him, his dark eyes shining with the starlight. He looked so peacefull sitting there, the silver light outlining every muscle on his well shapen body.  
  
Instantly Bulma let out a breath, and then took another one in quickly, remembering that she was still mad at him, and he was probably mad at her. Walking a little closer, she got up enough courage to speak to him, thought it wasn't the most courtious thing she could have said. "You know, it doesn't matter how long you stare at the moon, you're not going to turn into a giant monkey again." 


	7. Chapter 7

Vegeta sharply turned his head, surprised by her presence on the roof. He thought this was a place she never came, and never would have thought to look for him. He thought wrong. She was just the person he really didn't want to see right now, considering his feelings about her were in such considerable turmoil. He grunted and just turned his face away, trying not to notice the way that nightgown made her look beneath the stars. "I'm going to kill Yajarobi for that." He muttered, not knowing if she heard him, and not particularly caring anyway. He wasn't thinking about his hatred towards that fat little pain in the ass, he had already dealt with that by a good flattening boot to the head. He was just trying to make conversation.  
  
Deciding to be daring, Bulma went over and sat next to Vegeta on the roof. She secretly wondered if he just went up there to get away from her, or if he just liked the stars. "I am still mad at you, just to let you know, and I'm sure you're mad at me, but that doesn't mean we can't talk." She said softly, playing with the lace at the end of her short nightdress.  
  
"Hmph. Who wants to talk?" He responded, staring up at the moon, almost wishing he could become a giant Ozaru again, just to make her go away.  
  
Sighing, Bulma came to the conclusion that it was time to pour her feelings out to someone, even if it was Vegeta, and he didn't care. "I do." She whispered, tears welling up again.  
  
Oh boy. Here it came, that horrible noise that made Vegeta ache in parts he didn't know he had, let alone knew could hurt. She was going to cry for the nine hundreth time today, and now he was in direct earshot, and had nowhere to go. "Don't cry!" He said sharply, more cruely than he intended, but anything to make her stop. "You've cried all day, don't you think that's enough already? Kami you humans are weak."  
  
"Oh shut up Vegeta!" She shouted, turning towards him, her body shaking. "You're just as emotional as the rest of us, but you're too wrapped up in yourself to even notice that you are just as human as I am, but don't want to realize it."  
  
Scoffing, the prince turned towards the shaking woman. "I will not be spoken to that way! I am the Prince of the Saiyans, and you're just some little gutter trash woman who has too many emotions !" He shouted back, his retort which was meant to be cutting and cunning, not coming out anywhere near either of them.  
  
"So what if you're the Prince of Saiyans? I wouldn't give a damn if you were Kami himself. You're still a stuck up, arrogant bastard who doesn't have one shred of compassion. You care only about yourself!" She screamed, then colapsed her face into her arms, dropping the carton of ice cream she was holding, and sobbing.  
  
Growling, Vegeta got to his feet. This was too much for him, he woudln't be shouted at by her, and then have her crying crocodile tears as if he was doing something wrong. He was just about to blast off, when he felt his arm being touched.  
  
Bulma was now off her feet, but her crying hadn't stopped. "Please....don't leave." She begged, tears streaming down her face, and trembling terribly. "I'm...I'm sorry." She said, her heart just aching, and yearning for someone to reach out to her, even if it was Vegeta.  
  
Vegeta shivered at her touch, she was so frightfully cold and was shaking so profusely. Most of him said that he should just keep on going and let her fall victim to her own bitchyness, but that stupid little compassionate part wondered at how she looked so lovely when she was crying, and told him to help her. He would never regret helping her. No matter how many times he did it, he would never feel bad about it. So he gave in. "Fine."  
  
"Thank you.." She said, letting out a sob, then wiping away her tears with a sleve. "I just need someone to talk to, even if you don't care. Which I know you don't, but will you please just hear me out?" She pleaded, her blue eyes shining with tears and pain.  
  
Sighing, Vegeta gave in. Just this once, he told himself as he sat down again, staring away from her at the intricate paneling of the roof. "Fine, but don't expect me to say anything." He growled, trying not to make eye contact, for fear she would see that he really did care about what she said, and only wanted to make it better.  
  
"I don't." She said simply, then took a breath, trying to collect her thoughts into a sentance that could actually be understood in some form or another. "I just miss Yamcha.." She murmured, trying to hold her burning emotion back.  
  
Vegeta rolled his eyes. He would never understand why she was so obsessed with that weakling. What could he possibly offer her? Why did humans seek constant companionship? "Hmph. Why would you miss that pathetic earthling?" He asked coldly, letting one eye wander over to her face.  
  
"He's not pathetic!" She shouted, surprising both herself and her spiky haired compainion. "He is...I mean was, a great guy. He always listened when I talked, and the way he'd hold me...Oh..." Her eyes glossed over with tears, and a few of them slid down her cheeks. "I never thought we'd be apart, but now....I just don't even want to see him again" She blathered on, her innocent tears of pain still continuing on down her face until they dripped off onto her nightgown. Then looking over at Vegeta's raised eyebrows, she realized she was blabbing on, and had utterly lost his attention. "Sorry, you don't want to hear me talk about Yamcha, you probably don't understand what I'm talking about anyway, do you?"  
  
Grunting, Vegeta picked up the container of ice cream sitting next to her and shoveled a large bite in his mouth. It was fortunate she had brought food up there with her, seeing as he was positively starving from his day of training. It was true, he didn't understand what she was talking about. How could someone hold or touch someone different than anyone else? What did it matter if they did anyway? Pitiful humans with their useless emotions. Yet, somehow he felt that her words did mean something to him, but he put it aside.  
  
"I'm sorry..." She apologized again, pausing to see if he was going to respond. He didn't so she decided to answer for him. "Aren't you going to ask me why I'm apologizing?"  
  
"No." He replied, shoveling another spoonful of the milky stuff down his throat.  
  
"Well I'm going to tell you anyway." She said, watching him roll his eyes his cheeks stuffed with food. "I'm sorry for the way I acted earlier. You were only trying to help and I blew up at you. I just...didn't really want to see anyone right then.I expecially didn't want any unprecidented kindnsess. Do you forgive me?" Bulma asked, laying a hand on his arm gingerly, as if she expected to bite if off or something.  
  
Vegeta looked down at her warm hand resting on the arm of his blue jumpsuit, then back up a the owner of the appendage. What was she doing? And why did it send shivers up his spine? "Whatever." He responded, trying not to get lost in her shiny blue eyes.  
  
"Thanks. You know, you really do mean a lot to me Vegeta. Even though you are a stubborn, arrogant and selfish baka." She declared, a grin breaking out on her face for the first time in two days.  
  
He meant something to him? He meant a lot to her? What was she trying to say to him? Whatever it was the message was blurred in his mind, and he couldn't quite decript the mixed signals she was sending. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow as he shook her hand off of him. "Whatever. Just as long as I get to use the gravity macine, and eat your food." He grunted, taking another giant bite of ice cream, and then handing the carton to her as he stood up. 


	8. Chapter 8

Taking the cardboard container with both hands, Bulma looked up at the proud Saiyan. "Where are you going?" She asked, just out of curiousity, staring up into his dark clouded eyes.  
  
"To train." He answered briefly, noticing that she was now staring back at him. That same shiver that had run down his spine when she first touched his arm returned as their gazes locked. He really didn't care about training, he just wanted to get away from her before he did something irrational and uncharacteristaically compassionate. Giving her one more look, he flew off the roof and around the front of the house.  
  
Sighing, Bulma shook her head. Why was she staring at him like that? He just looked so calm beneath the moonlight, so serene. He didn't even say one mean thing to her the entire time they were up there. He just listened. Not the way Yamcha did, but he listened.  
  
Why was she comparing him to Yamcha? She wasn't even interested in Vegeta, was she? Of course not. She was just lonely and looking for some male companionship beyond that of the cat. Vegeta being the only man in the house was an obious candidate. That was it. She was just lonely and looking for someone to bounce her emotions off of. That was it.  
  
Looking down into the carton in her lap, Bulma expected to see nothing at all, and was about to just toss it off the roof effortlessly, when she witnessed something she didn't expect. In the corner of the box was a little lump of ice cream. He had left some for her. Usually Vegeta tore through the little boxes like they were nothing at all and rarely left even a drop of melted cream, but this time, there was a substancial mound left. How sweet of him...  
  
Bulma smiled, and scooped the last bite into her mouth. Somehow it tasted sweeter than the other three bites she had that night, but then again, maybe it was just her. It probably was. "Good night Vegeta." She murmered, as she began to climb off the roof. She knew he coudln't hear her, and pondered why she was doing something so incredibly stupid.  
  
But he did. Somewhere in his heart Vegeta heard her wishes for him, and smiled a little. He turned the gravity up a little, feeling a new strength. He knew something had happened that night, but he wasn't sure what. It made him a little uneasy though. His power was being challenged. The power over himself.  
  
Part 2: Confrontation  
  
The morning was a bright one, and the sun washed through the windows, overpowering the fierce darkness. Vegeta squinted in the small gravity room. Stupid Bulma installing a window into this thing. He went into the gravity room to get away from the light, to excape the world, he didn't need the constant reminder that there was an entire universe right outside his door.  
  
Soon the bright sun became so much that he couldn't even consentrate on being the training robots without shielding his eyes. Being so distracted by the blaring morning light, Vegeta lost his focus and the training robot got the better of him. Two sharp punches to the ribcage was all it took to get Vegeta smashed back up against the wall.  
  
Damn robot...He was going to show that heap of garbage what he was made of. His aura flaring red, he powered up a red ball of energy in his left hand. A small smirk crossed his face just before he fired it, blowing the robot to smitereens. Unfortunately, his blast was a little too strong and it blasted out the entire left side of the gravity room. Vegeta shielded his face with an arm as the explosion cleared the rest of the chamber.  
  
After the dust cleared, Vegeta saw the true effects of his anger. A giant crater was all that remained of the left wall. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, and then shrugged. Bulma would fix it at his request. But he would have to find something to do with himself until she woke up.  
  
As if on cue the doorbell rang, causing Vegeta to jump a little. Who could be ringing their door this early? Why didn't Bulma wake up? Hesitating, the Saiyan made his way towards the door. I had been a long time since he'd actually opened the huge Capsule Corp. door. The last time he had was on Halloween, just to have some bratty kids flash raspberry's in his face. This time he doubted it was a bunch of whiny brats looking for candy.  
  
Pausing for only another second, he reached out and hauled open the giant door. There before him stood a rather surprised Yamcha, staring him right in the face. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, and considered slamming the door in the bastards face, when the "bastard" spoke.  
  
"Vegeta?! What are you doing here?" Yamcha cried, so overcome by astonisment he couldn't even think rationally.  
  
Scowling, Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest, making a point of standing right in the doorway. "I live here you moron." He growled, glaring at the man in front of him.  
  
Yamcha was beyond amazement at this point. He had expected Bulma to answer the door, and then come running into his waiting arms. Instead he found the face of Vegeta glowering at him disaprovingly. An unexplainable anger swept over Yamcha at the reminder that this pigheaded Prince actually got to see Bulma every day. Kami only knew what they had done together. "Move..." He muttered, lowering his brow as well.  
  
Now that this was turning into a staring match of sorts, Vegeta stepped even more into Yamcha's path. No puny earthling was going to match wits with Vegeta and expect to win. He remained silent, but stood clearly in the path of the earth man who was getting more and more irritated by the minute.  
  
"Where's Bulma?" He growled, peering around the Saiyan to the hallway he knew led to her room. Vegeta was being an ass, and all he wanted to do was apologize and maybe get Bulma to be with him again. He didn't need this agravation.  
  
Vegeta narrowed his eyes, bringing his eyebrows down so far they almost touched. He knew that at some point the earth man was going to involve the woman locked up in her room. How dare he ask to see her? He had just destroyed the poor woman's heart and now he wasnted to suck up and pretend to make it all better, just like he always did. Bastard...  
  
"She doesn't want to see you." He responded darkly, clenching his fists at his sides, but making no move.  
  
"What the hell are you talking about, spiky?! Of course she wants to see me! I'm her boyfriend!"  
  
Vegeta laughed abruptly, and sharply, his mouth twisted into a simple smirk. "Not anymore." He said softly, watching Yamcha's face contort with rage.  
  
"Oh I get it!" He shouted, clasping Vegeta's collar with a fist, while the Saiyan didn't even bother blinking. "You wanted us to break up so you could catch Bulma on the rebound! Well sorry to tell you this monkey boy but she's mine! Just because I screw up once doesn't mean we're through. No such luck."  
  
Snickering again, the Saiyan looked down at the little earth boy's hand that was crasping onto his shirt so hard his knuckles were white. How horribly pathetic. "Oh really? The way I understand your relationship it's always you that screws up. Honestly, the way you drag that woman around, you'd think she was your pet or something."  
  
The room fell silent. Vegeta had just defended a human, and a human that he fought with every single day no less! A small gasp came from the corner and both men looked up to see Bulma standing in the corner. Her eyes were red rimmed and puffy from all the crying she had done, and she was looking at Vegeta as if her jaw was about to come unhinged.  
  
"Bulma!" Yamcha cried, still not releasing his grip on Vegeta's collar.  
  
The Saiyan Prince looked up with a rather defeated look in his eyes. He just publically destroyed his pride, but for the first time ever, he didn't care. He just looked out at that beautiful woman standing in the doorway, and felt his heart melting.  
  
"Let him go, Yamcha!" She cried, taking a few steps towards them, her eyes shining with newly sprung tears.  
  
The earthling looked from Vegeta's stupid smile to Bulma's shining eyes, and discovered something that made him want to destroy that damn Saiyan more than he had ever wanted to destroy anything in the history in his existence. "You bastard!" He screamed, shoving Vegeta into the wall with all his might, which actually hurt the Saiyan very little but left a large imprint.  
  
"Vegeta, no!" Bulma cried, rushing over to throw the man off, but was stopped as she heard what he said next.  
  
"YOU!" Yamcha howled, watching Vegeta's brow furrow. "You planned this all along! You can't have her you hear!? She's mine! Why would she want someone like you?! All you ever do is destroy anything and everything you get your hands on!"  
  
Her eyes filling up with tears, Bulma rushed forward and attempted to pull Yamcha off of the prince. "Yamcha! Get off him you jerk! How dare you say that!" 


	9. Chapter 9

So enraptrued in his own rage, Yamcha raised a hand back and pushed her, hard. More than surprised by his reaction, Bulma flew backwards over the coffee table and landed with a thunk on the ground.  
  
"Bulma!" Both men screamed at once, Yamcha finally realizing what he had done to her and feeling absolutely rancid about his anger. While Vegeta seethed with rage. Insulting the prince of all Saiyans was pushing it, but then pushing an innocent woman. That was going too far.  
  
Using all the strength he had left in his body and soul, Vegeta punched Yamcha in the face, hearing the faithfull crack as his jawbone snapped in two. He then proceeded to punch him continually in the stomach, so hard that the man began coughing up blood.  
  
Yamcha was so stunned by what happened in the past few minutes, that the fact that he was getting the snot beat out of him didn't even register in his mind until Vegeta snapped one of his ribs. Letting out a cry of pain, he slammed his fists down on the man's back.  
  
Now the battle was full fledged, and the two were flying around the house tearing each other to bits, and the decor of the living room. Both men fought violently, but Vegeta seemed to be having the edge. He had been training long and hard, without food or sleep, while Yamcha had to give in to his human limitations. Yamcha, however, had the inginuity to use household objects to his advantage. It took a few good blows to the head with a candlestick before the Saiyan relalized that they were tearing Bulma's house apart, and this could continue elsewhere. It was a rather uncharacteristic maturity had settled in ever since he had spoken up for the woman he cared about, and he was intending not to let the moment slip away.  
  
Taking Yamcha by the ponytail, Vegeta kicked the door off it's hinges and threw the human out into the night. He stood on the stoop for a moment, panting, then let a ki blast fly out of his hand which fried Yamcha rather considerably. "Dont' you ever come back here, or so help me I'll finish you off.." He warned, spitting blood onto the grass. That said, he turned around and stalked back into the house.  
  
Hearing Yamcha curse loudly, then a groan as he attempted to move down the street, Vegeta figured that was the last he would be seeing of him. He picked up the door and fitted it back on the hinges. That was undoubtedly the best training he had gotten since...well a long time. He could have killed him, he should have killed the earthling, but something stopped him. Bulma's words echoed through his mind, "You only care about yourself!" And that halted him immediately.  
  
Bulma! He had almost forgotten about her. Practically leaping over the table, he found her wound into a heap, shuddering, but with no apparent sign of consiousness. He bent down to pick her up, and found that next to her left eye there was a small pool of blood that was forming. Gathering her limp form in his arms he saw that there was a good sized gash just to the right of her left temple that was bleeding significantly.  
  
"I'll kill him.." Vegeta murmured making a course for the woman's room.  
  
This was the first time he could ever remember caring about the welfare of another being. He actually let his feelings show too. Laying Bulma down on her bed, he wondered what the HFIL was wrong with him? This lack of self restraint was allarming him beyond conception. Why couldn't he control his feelings for this woman? She was just so....powerful...It made him uncomfortable to know that just her very presence could make him do things he would never even think of doing.  
  
Maybe he could just kill her. Make it all go away. He would be just as in control of his own "emotions" as he had been a month ago, and he would no longer have to worry about the look in her eyes. Or the way she smiled. They would be gone. Forever....No, he couldn't do it. He didn't know why but he couldn't.  
  
"Damn woman.." He muttered, sitting on the floor. "Damn beautiful woman.." Chapter 6: No Stopping the Heart  
  
The night was dark, and the musky light was intoxicating. Vegeta looked up from his position on the floor. He had been sitting there the whole night, and Bulma hadn't even stirred once. The Saiyan managed to nurse his own wounds to a degree, and had put a large ugly bandage over the woman's head. Now he just sat there, staring at her, trying to work out his own feelings. It was so incredibly sad. The great almighty Lord of the Saiyan-jinn's letting his mind be governed by a weak earth woman. Pitiful...just pitiful...  
  
His rear end was beggining to hurt, and the smell of the carpet was making his nose burn, so Vegeta sufficed to sit on the bed next to the woman. Up close she was even more lovely than she was from the floor. Smaking himself in the head, Vegeta cursed. Stupid woman! It was all her fault.  
  
In her sleep, Bulma stirred, making a soft whispering noise. The prince jerked his head over to her immediately, and watched her crunch her knees up to her chest, rustling her robe around. He raised an eyebrow as the fold of the blue cloth slipped down a little revealing the rather attractive curve of her body.  
  
Vegeta stared. She was amazing. Even though he could just barely see anything he was already extreemly "intruiged". "Kami.." He murmered. Then he outsteched his hand to touch her, he had been longing to do so since he first looked at her. Of course his motives were significantly different back then, and he assumed that once the earth was in his grasp he would use this Bulma woman to breed a whole new race of Saiyans to inhabit the world. Now all he wanted to do was just touch one inch of her beautiful skin.  
  
"Pervert.." She whispered in her sleep, then blinked her eyes a little.  
  
Incredibly surprised, Vegeta yanked his hand away and nearly topped off the bed his recoil was so quick.  
  
Slowly her bright blue eyes opened, and she stared at the man sitting next to her, who looked a little ruffled. "Vegeta.."  
  
Realizing he had let his guard down, the prince speedily regained his composure and crossed his arms over his chest. "You're finally awake." He grunted.  
  
Groaning, and touching her forehead, Bulma sat up. Her temple was burning like fire, and the last thing she remembered was about how it got hurt. "Yamcha.." She murmured, looking around frantically. "Where is Yamcha?"  
  
Vegeta grunted, and hoisted himself off the bed. "I threw him outside. Not before doing a great deal of damage to him, of course." He said rather proudly, expecting Bulma to agree with his view.  
  
"You what!? You fought him!" Bulma shouted, attempting to leap off the bed, but her head hurting so much the only thing she could do was just lean forward a little bit. Getting nothing but silence, she turned away tears stinging in her eyes. "I can't believe you...How could you do that? He didn't mean to hurt me, he was only coming by to make ammends."  
  
"No he wasn't!" Vegeta roared, whirling around right in Bulma's face. "He was coming by to suck up like he always does just to get you back in his arms so he can feel whole. He doesn't care about you in the least. He will never be faithfull to you and it's foolish to keep telling yourself that he will!"  
  
Bulma drew back a little bit. There was a fire in Vegeta she didn't think she had ever seen before. Why did he suddenly care so much about her welfare? Vegeta had always let her make her own mistakes in the past and never said more than two words about it. Now he was telling her who she should trust and who she shouldn't. He had no right, he had absolutely no right at all! Who did he think he was telling her that Yamcha was no good! What a-  
  
"He would...never give his life for you..." Vegeta said a little more softly than before, turning his back to the woman.  
  
Tears fell down her cheeks at that stament. The compassion that she heard in the gruff Saiyan's voice warmed her heart. "And...and you would?" She asked quietly, watching the muscles in Vegeta's back tense up with nervousness.  
  
"That's not what I meant!" He barked, his back still turned so she couldn't see the look on his face.  
  
Standing up slowly, Bulma layed a hand on the Prince's shoulder. Her touch was so soft and delicate, Vegeta thought he might break it if he so much as breathed wrong. "I think you did. I think that's what you meant. At least...that's what I hope you meant."  
  
Vegeta raised his eyebrows, and turned around to meet her gaze. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, making her blue eyes shine. With a hand he reached down and wiped a few droplets off her face. "I-I've never felt like this.." He murmured, putting his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Me neither."  
  
"Do you..think...maybe?"  
  
"Yeah. I do."  
  
"Good." With that short but very loving conversation the Prince leaned down and kissed her. Bulma wrapped her arms around his neck and they stayed that way for a good while. The kiss was unlike any either of them had ever felt. So much love and passion radiated through one little moment in time.  
  
When they parted, Vegeta smiled, and it was the most wonderful thing Bulma had ever seen. His smile was not the wicked smirk that usually brushed across his face, but a smile of true happiness. Of bliss.  
  
"I love you." She whispered. "I think I always have."  
  
Smiling, Vegeta hugged her tightly and whispered in her ear. "I love you too, you damn woman."  
  
And thus began one of the most loving and caring relationships ever known.  
  
The end? 


End file.
